Editor’s note: The following letter is in response to Terrill Perrine’s guest column published in the Jan. 19, 2005, edition of the Valley Record.
I hope the residents of North Bend actually have more of a say in how they would like to see their hometown developed versus “9,000 people who visit North Bend each holiday season.” According to your survey/article, they would like to see “more restaurants, retail shops, recreation events (whatever that is?) and entertainment.”
Well, that’s great for them, but what about me? I’m the one who lives here and pays high property taxes already. They just want to come here, spend money and go home. It’s like saying, “I’d like to see a dump in Carnation so I can take all my trash and leave it there and then come back to my home.” How would the people of Carnation like that?
You also state that the EDC (Economic Development Commission) will collect additional information from “consumers including North Bend residents later in 2005,” as if the actual people who live here are the last to submit our comments on how we want to see the town evolve. That’s “bass-akwards” if you ask me. We should be the first to be asked … and I prefer the name “residents” over “consumers.” Sure, we “consume” to live, but we’re also residents who more than those visiting the outlet stores have a very strong vested interest in how we see this town develop … or not be developed.
Your article is all business, yet North Bend is not all about business. It’s about the “quality of life” many of us have chosen in order to live here. If I wanted “more restaurants, retail shops, recreation events (again, I don’t know what that means unless you plan on having the Seahawks play in North Bend) and entertainment,” I would have bought a home in Bellevue or Seattle. But that’s not what I wanted, and that’s why I bought a home in North Bend.
I will visit your Web site and I will contact Tonie Cook at City Hall so I can get involved in this project because the way your article came across, it’s all about business and $$$$$$ and has nothing to do with the “residents” who actually live here.
Brian Murphy
North Bend
